DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 112 352 CS 002 13.6

AUTHOR Stewig, John Warren

TITLE Book Illustration: Key to Visual and Verbal
Literacy.
PUB DATE May 75
NOTE 11p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
International Reading Association (20th, New York
City, May 13-16, 1975)

EDRS PRICE MF-$0.76 HC-$1.58 Plus Postage

DESCRIPTORS *Childrens Literature; Elementary Education; Folklore
Books; *Illustrations; *Oral Communication; Verbal
Development;.Visual Arts; *Visual Literacy; *Visual
Stimuli

ABSTRACT
Visual and verbal literacy skills are crucial to
children because of their relationship to reading, and to adults
because of their social utility. Such skills are, paradoxically,
among those least often developed in a systematic fashion in
elementary schools. One reason for this is that component subskills
of visual and verbal literacy are infrequently identified. The three
subskills identified in this paper are describing, comparing, and
oral valuing. An effective way of encouraging children to learn these
skills is to use illustrations from children's literature. The
approach offers many advantages because illustrations are easy to
locate, plentiful, and of much interest to children. The teacher
attempting to use this approach will find that children respond
eagerly and in the process develop valuable visual and verbal
literacy skills. (TS)

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TO ERIC AND ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING

BOOK ILLUSTRATION: KEY TO VISUAL AND VERBAL LITERACY
UNDER AGREEMENTS WITH THE NATIONAL IN-
STITUTE OF EDUCATION FURTHER REPRO-
DUCTION OUTSIDE THE EPIC SYSTEM RE-
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OWNER

Those of us who teach children to read are only too aware of the word liter-

acy: it is a seemingly elusive goal toward which we work. Much effort has been ex-

pended, and many words written about achieving reading literacy--the ability to

decode and utilize what is decoded. Most definitions of literacy include reading

and writing. Our colleagues in language arts have expended similar lavish amounts

of time helping children achieve written literacy.

Yet some efforts are incomplete, since they do not include an important com-

ponent: visual and verbal literacy. To be truly literate, especially today, we

must be able to decode messages in pictures, and to encode our findings in verbal

language. How can such an assertion be justified?

About 80% of our information comes to us visually. (Debes, 1974) This bombard-

ment by visual stimuli is so universal it hardly evokes comment. Yet where in the

curriculum do we teach children to "read" such visual input--to examine it carefully

part by part, extracting meaning and interacting with what is extracted? Such pro-

cesses are central to the reading program, but few children learn to read pictures

effectively.

A related factor is developing verbal literacy: the ability to put coherent

thought into words, words into sentences, and sentences into larger units. Most of us

spend more time communicating orally than in either reading or writing. Yet where

in elementary schools do we help children learn to express in words what they have

taken in through their senses? Specifically, where do children learn to talk lit-

erately about what they see in pictures, and other visual stimuli they view?
 Literacy - 2

Such verbal literaCy is important for two reasons. First, for its intrinsic

value--to be verbally literate is crucial for adults. Such literacy is also im-

portant for children, for the base it provides for reading instruction. We know

that success in reading is closely-linked to oral fluency, yet too frequently

oral language skillS receive limited attention.

Because conscious instruction in visual and verbal literacy seems minimal, I

would like to describe some approaches to developing these skills. Such approaches

are as yet a mosaic of interesting ideas, rather than a coherent philosophy or a

unified approach to educating young children. One pair of authors has commented:

"...after the early grades, there is a tendency to minimize the visual aspects of

communication as children are...weaned away from pictures and illustrations..."

(Fransecky, 1972)

If children are seldom encouraged to study illustrations, they are even less

often asked to translate what they have learned in this visual mode into the verbal

mode. Putting thoughts about what was learned visually into spoken words is an

important challenge all children should experience.

Visual-Verbal Skills

In developing visual-verbal literacy, there are three sub-skills to be consi-

dered. These are sequential, from simple to more complex, and children should have

opportunities to. develop one skill before moving to the next one.

The first skill is to describe objectively--clearly, concisely, concretely,

what the child sees. We are asking children to study an object providing visual

input, and then translate this input into words.

The second skill is an extension of the first--to compare two different objects,

using common descriptors. Given two objects, can the child accurately describe them,

including differences which exist? In looking at two pictures, can the child see

what is similar about them, and what sets them apart? If we have two versions of
'Little Red Riding Hood; can children describe how Little Red is the same or dif-

ferent in the pictures?

The third, more sophisticated, and most important skill is the ability to

value one of the objects. Children can develop the ability to say which of the pic-

tures they prefer, and why. This verbal ability is important: few adults are capable

of an effective description of their evaluations. Listen to adults tell you what

they like. Inchoate thoughts too often come out as insistent reiterations of what

a person "likes." It is a rare individual who can give a convincing reason for, a

visual preference. The adult who insists, "I don't really know anything about art,

but I know what I like," not only tells the listener about an impoverished background,

but also about muddled thought processes and a paucity of verbal expression. Believ-

ing then, that this three-part ability is crucial for adults, and possible for chil-

dren, what kinds of experiences develop children's visual-verbal literacy?

Materials to Use

.
Some writers describing visual literacy programs recommend film study. This is

an exciting possibility after preparatory experiences. For young children, such film

images move too quickly, and are not conducive to the study and reflection I am recom-

mending. Additional drawbacks are the cost, and relative inconvenience of film.

Rather, a plentiful, convenient, and relatively inexpensive source of material

exists: the illustrations in children's books. Picture and illustrated books proli-

ferate rapidly. The teacher is at no loss, therefore, to find materials children

may use in developing these skills.

It is simple to locate several artists' illustrations of the same story of poem

as a basis for practicing each of these skills. Cinderella, Rumplestiltskin, Chanti-

cleer and the Fox, and other stories have inspired artists to create their visual im-

pressions. Poetry has also received such attention from artists. Well-known poems

likes Lear's "The Owl and the Pussy Cat" have been illustrated by several artists, and

can be used as the basis for describing, comparing, and valuing experiences.

4
 Literacy - 4

Variety in Style

In using book illustrations as stimulus material, the teacher is helping chil-

dren study the pictures for their own sake--not merely for the extension or augmen-

tation they provide the text. We are examining illustration as an independent vi-

sual artifact which has meaning of its own. With young children, we begin very

simply, using one illustration and asking children to tell what they see.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff is a logical beginning with kindergarten or first

grade children. We may focus attention of the visual treatment of the goats. The

bold rendering in casein by Stobbs (1967) is quite unlike the dainty hoofed goat by

Lenski (in Hutchinson, 1925). The rakish mien of the goat sketched casually by

Marcia Brown in fluid ink line (in Asbjornsen, 1957) is different than the precise

black designs by Vroman (in Asbjornsen, 1963). A bold woodcut design (Blair, 1963)

contrasts with other illustrations.

Another favorite of young children is Little Red Riding Hood. The visual treat-

ment of Litte Red varies from the stolid interpretation by Bruna (1966) through the

pixy created in lithography by Jean Merrill (1968) to the apprehensive little girl

overwhelmed by the encompassing forest drawn by Aloise (in Gant, 1969). The scene

at the bedchamber with the wolf and Little Red elicits many responses. One child

commented that she liked the illustration by Bernadette (in Grimm, 1968) because,

"It looks like it happened long ago." In looking at the illustration by Hogrogian

(1967), one child commented, "Little Red Riding Hood should have the glasses on.

Then.she could see by the big nose that it's a wolf and not grandma."

After children have several experiences describing what they see in pictures,

we move to the next skill, comparing two pictures for the same story or poem. in all

these experiences, we are helping children take in through their sense of sight, and

give out their observations and comparisons through words.

A favorite of older children, Cinderella, works well for comparison purposes. A

French version of the tale has Cinderella posed beside the clock which bids her

leave. (Contes de Perrault, 1965) Lenski's highly stylized version shows the afflu-

ence of the home from which Cinderella is liberated (in Hutchinson, 1925). Brown

(1954) uses watercolor wash treatment to show the consideration of the prince and the

dismay of the sisters. Encourage children to compare the treatment of the prince:

the one by Ness (in Haviland, 1965) in bold modern robes but unfortunately large

feet is very different than the one by Brown. The luxuriant patterning evident in

Ness's woodcuts capture and hold children's attention as they explore the wealth of

visual detail. One child said of the romantic, yet gothic illustration by Arthur

Rackham (1950), "Her dress is so fluffy it looks like it could float to the ball by

itself." When studying an illustration in the Lang book (1948), another child won-

dered how Cinderella could run fast in such a full skirt.

Puss in Boots is an old tale which never fails to amuse children, who delight

in the sly cat's efforts to trick a wide variety of people. Some versions are in

simple black and white (as in Huber, 1965), yet even when the color is limited and

the technique is similar, there are discernible differences in interpretation (see

Johnson, 1961). The lithographs of Brown's debonaire cat (1952) and Fischer's

striped one (1959), both limited in color, are neverthless favorites of children, and

stimulate oral description. More complex treatments good for comparison purposes also

show variety of style. (Haviland, 1959) One child remarked of this version, "I like

this one because it looks like it happened in a foreign country." (Kastner, 1957)

Goldilocks and the Three Bears has challenged the talents of many artists. These

range from favorite old illustrations by Arthur Rackham to a version by Paul Galdone

(1972). Sometimes the bears remain very much animals, as in the illustrations by

Rackham (1950). At other times they are very human; Lenski (in Hutchinson, 1925)

clothes her family, as does Stobbs (1965).

Comparing the treatment of the central character is facilitative of verbal lan-

guage fluency. Three artists show her sampling the porridge, yet in each case the
 Literacy - 6

illustration is very unlike the others. (See The Three Bears, 1955, Rojankovsky,

1948, 6, Book of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, 1962.)

This old tale is useful in working on the idea of story variation with chil-

dren. Unlike other old tales, this one can be traced to a specific author, Eleanor

Mure (1967). In her original version the intruder was not a sweet child, but ra-

ther a greedy old woman. The incensed bears, not content with chasing her from the

house, tried to do away with her in the fireplace. To their dismay, they discovered

she was noncombustible. The Andrew Lang (1949) version also depicts an irascible old

lady, not dismayed, but in fact rather annoyed at having her sleep interrupted. Still

another mutation of the story which captivates children but arouses the wrath of

some of their teachers is one by Palazzo (1959). He depicts a conventional enough

trio of bears, but a highly unconventional Goldilocks: an appealing, blond and shag-

gy dog!

Using Poetry Illustrations

Illustrations for poetry also help motivate children in the process of de-

scribing, comparing and valuing. For example, several illustrations are available

for two poems, "The Owl and the Pussycat," and "Old Mother Hubbard."

The nonsense of Lear's poem (1961) has intrigued artists, including the poet him-

self. These illustrations are of historic interest, but do not capture children's

attention and motivate verbal language as easily as do other versions. Contrast them

with the contemporary open color illustrations of Cooney (1961) which evoke a lush

forest repast. The color boundaries are more controlled and more details are pro-

vided by du Bois (1961). Tinkelman (1964) gives us energetic black line to detail

his green and white illustrations, while Palazzo (1956) provides a realistically

colored owl and cat.

Mother Goose rhymes offer rich possibilities for developing verbal facility.

"Old Mother Hubbard" has elicited illustrations from many artists, with wide differ-

ences in interpretation. Some are in black and white (Rackham, 1069), while some
 Literdcy - 7

are in full color (Tenggren, 1940). Some feature an old woman of ample proportions,

while Tudor (1944) chose to show her as wispy in nature. Ward's illustration (in

Huber, 1965) depicts her as tall, while Lobel's version (1968) shows a compact

dumpling of a woman. Even the evocation of time is different. In comparing two

illustrations, one child felt that-deAngeli's (1954), "Looks like it happened

longer ago," than did the one by Rojankovsky (1942).

Children's Response to the Materials

Once a variety of illustrations for a story or poem is selected, the teacher is

ready to begin. How should the materials be used? How can we expect children might

respond? Specific methods of presentation, types of questions to stimulate obser-

vation and discussion, number of illustrations used, and length of the sessions

must depend upon the group.

While using the illustrations for "The Owl and the Pussycat," I discovered

that kindergarten children without previous experience in structured oral discussion

delighted in telling me what they saw in illustrations for the verse. They were

developing the first skill--describing. Since it was an initial experience, we

began simply with one illustration and a few questions:

1. What do you see in the picture?

2. What colors has the artist used?

3. Where is this happening? How can you tell?

4. What things did they take along with them?

5. Is the boat like any you have seen? How is it different?

Sixth graders, with a variety of previous oral language experiences, did well

in evaluating as a result of close observation and practice in describing. A class-

room teacher used three illustrations for The Hare and The Tortoise in doing a unit

on describing skills. Illustrations for the story were put up in the room for a

few days. Children responded well to the challenge of seeing how closely they could

observe what was in the pictures. One discussion session involved describing,
 . Literacy - 8

separately, each illustration. A second session centered on comparing two of the

illustrations. During the third session children explained to their peers their

reason for preferring, or valuing, one of the three illustrations. There was

little verbal impoverishment apparent as these sixth graders discussed articu-

lately the reasons for their choices.

_ESuEIEK

Visual and verbal literacy skills are crucial to children, because of their

relationship to reading, and to adults because of their social utility. Such

skills are paradoxically among those least often developed in systematic fashion

in elementary schools. One reason for this is that component subskills of visual

and verbal literacy are infrequently identified. Because the three subskills

identified here are crucial, children must be provided opportunities to describe,

compare,.and value orally. An effective way of encouraging children to do this is

to use illustrations from children's literature. The approach offers many advantages:

illustrations are easy to locate, plentiful, and of much interest to children. The

teacher attempting to use this approach will find children respond eagerly and in

the process develop valuable visual and verbal literacy skills.

a
Asbjornsen, P.C. and J.E. Moe. East of the Sun and West of the Moon. New York:
The Macmillan Co., 1963.

Asbjornsen, P.C. and J.E. Moe. The Three Billy Goats Gruff. New York: Harcourt,
Brace, Jovanovich, Inc., 1957.

Blair, Susan. Three Billy Goats Gruff. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1963.

Brown, Marcia. Cinderella. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1954.

Brown, Marcia. Puss in Boots. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, Inc., 1952.

Bruna, Dick. Little Red Riding Hood. Chicago: Follette, 1966.

Contes de Perrault. Paris: Editions Gamier Freres, 1956.

Cooney, Barbara. The Owl and the Pussy Cat. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1961.

de Angeli, Marguerite. Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes. Garden City:
Doubleday and Co., 1954.

du Bois, William P. The Owl and The Pussy Cat. Garden City: Doubleday and Co., 1961.

Debes, John L. and Clarence M. Williams. "The Power of Visuals," Instructor. Decem-
ber, 1974, 32-38.

Fisher, Hans. Puss in Boots. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1959.

Fransecky, Roger B. and John L. Debes. Visual Literacy: A Way to Learn - A Way to
Teach. Washington: Association for Educational Communication and Technology,
1972, 23.

Gaidone, Paul. The Three Bears. New York: SeaburysPress, 1972.

Gant, Elizabeth and Katherine. Little Red Riding Hood. Nashville: Abingdon Press,
1969.

Grimm, The Brothers. Little Red Riding Hood. Cleveland: The World Pub. Co., 1968.

Haviland, Virginia. Favorite Fairy Tales Told in France. Toronto: Little, Brown,
and Co., 1959.

Haviland, Virginia. Favorite Fairy Tales Told in Italy. Boston: Little, Brown and
Co., 1965.

Hogrogian, Nonny. The Renowned History of Little Red Riding Hood. New York: Thomas
Y. Crowell, 1967.

Huber, M.B. Story and Verse for Children. New York: Macmillan and Co., 1965.

Hutchinson, Veronica S. (ed.). Chimney Corner Stories. New York: Minton, Balch
and Company, 1925.
 Literacy - 10

Johnson, A.E. (translator). Perrault's Complete Fairy Tales. New York: Mead and
Co., 1961.

Kastner, Erich. Puss in Boots. New York: Julian Messner, Inc., 1957.

Lang, Andrew. The Blue Fairy Book. New York: David McKay Co., Inc., 1948.

Lang, Andrew. The Green Fairy Book. London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1949.

Lear, Edward. The Owl and the Puss Cat. New York: Little, Brown and Co., 1961.

Lobel, Arnold. The Comic Adventure of Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog. Bradbury
Press, 1968.

Merrill, Jean and Ronni Solbert. Red Riding. New York: Pantheon, 1968.

Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes. New York: Franklin Watts, 1969.

Mure, Eleanor. The Story of the Three Bears. New York: H.Z. Walck, 1967.

My Book of Goldilocks and The Three Bears. New York: Maxton Pub. Co., 1962.

Palazzo, Tony. Edward Lear's Nonsense Book. Garden City: Doubleday, 1956.

Palazzo, Tony. Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Garden City: Doubleday, 1959.

Rackham, Arthur. The Arthur Rackham Fairy Book. Philadelphia: J.B. Libbincott, 1950.

Rojankovsky, Feodor. The Tall Book of Mother Goose. New York: Harper and Row, 1942.

Rojankovsky, Feodor. The Three Bears. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1948.

Stobbs, William. The Three Bears. New York: Whittlesley House, 1965.

Stobbs, William. Three Billy Goats Gruff, New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1967.

Tenggren, Gustay. Mother Goose. Toronto: Little, Brown, and Co., 1940.

The Three Bears. Racine (Wis.): The Whitman Pub. Co., 1955.

Tinkelman, Murray. The Owl and the Pussy Cat, New York: A Harlan Quist Book, 1964.

Tudor, Tasha. Mother Goose. London: Oxford University Press, 1944.

11